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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · dip · fan · spell · row · march · present · patient

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. present — there
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spell — letters
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. dip — to sink
  12. present — a gift
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. spell — a short time
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. row — a line
  19. present — the time now
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com